Two  representatives of Western Visayas to the Miss Teen Philippines International 2008 will be chosen in a beauty pageant set at Robinson’s Place in Bacolod City on Friday. A third representative of the region will be chosen in Iloilo City.

Organizers of the event said Negros Occidental is privileged to have two slots in the International pageant to be held in Davao City on May 31, where winners from different provinces in the country and from Filipino communities abroad will compete.

The 13 Negros Occidental hopefuls are Sara Monica Esquerra, Lindzy Tolones, Maxine Galapon, Ma. Regina Meñez, Estila Parduano, Kazumi Mami Sakuma, Katherine Vasquez, Cindy Tang, Vena Santillan, Lianne Fernandez, Angela Mae Geanga, Georgia Mae Balagosa and Mary Car Malunes.

More than just a parade of beauties, Miss Teen Philippines is promoting environmental protection and conservation, Jo Briones of the MTP organizing committee said.

In a press conference, the candidates expressed their concern to the worsening waste disposal problem they have observed in the community and their opinion on the political crisis faced by the present administration.

As part of the community outreach program of the candidates in Negros Occidental, she said the contestants will join the clean up drive in the cities of Silay and Cadiz and will attend an environment symposia facilitated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Aside from the honor of representing the region in the MTPI in Davao City, the top winner in the March 15 pageant will receive P5,000, domestic travel packages worth P50,000, a chance to be MTP’s image model and endorser, gift packs and certificates, and a chance to get the  P100,000 and three-week international educational tour package either in London, Paris or Tokyo.